"today" on this 27bd day of january, 2013. we've got a nice crowd outside on the plaza. i'm willie fwiest, along with al roker and erica hill and she's back for more. >> i jumped the barricade. >> wow! >> kit hoover. al, good to see you back from cali. >> your hometown. >> i'm having so much fun here. you bop around. it's so electric. coming up this hour we'll see steals and deals. i love a bargain.

jill martin will be on to talk about all the good stuff. >> she is always saving us mountains of cash. >> we love it. millions always promise this time of year to eat better but snacking can be the biggest setback, especially if you don't have a plan or you spend a lot of time at the mall or you're traveling. we've got great calorie-saving solutions. little changes can make big differences. >> they can. >> also, words of wisdom and secrets of success from people who have made it big. warren buffet, coach tony robbins, spanx creator, sara blakely, and san antonio mayor julian castro. >> i thought you were just all fit. >> those exercises we were doing earlier. the butter churn. president obama says he will sign the bill that pulled the nation back up from the fiscal cliff. last night a divided house vote

diverted income tax hikes for most persons but delayed decisions on spending cuts. congress now needs to raise the debt ceiling, he says, so the government can keep paying its bills. if not, he says the consequences could be far worse than the impact of the fiscal cliff. secretary of state hillary rodham clinton will fully recov recover, doctors are confident, from a blood clot in her head. she is said to be in good spirits and making excellent progress. the blood clot behind her right ear formed after a concussion from a fall. justin bieber's sports car. he was not in the car at the time. the photographer was struck by another vehicle as he returned to his own car. officials say no charges are expected against the driver who hit him. today an open house is being held in connecticut at a repurpose school for survivors of last month's sandy hook elementary massacre.

teachers and other workers have been busy get thing the space ready for the students, painting and moving furniture. classes at the new facility begin tomorrow. counselors say it's important for children to get back into a normal routine. if your new year's resolution is to lose a few pounds, researchers are weighing in on a new study. looking at almost 3 million people, those with a body mass index that ranked them as overweight had a lower mortality rate as people with normal weight. cholesterol and diabetes are as important or perhaps more important than weight alone. those who are obese have a greater risk of dying overall and health official s caution the study should not give anyone the green light to gain weight. emotional scene tuesday at the tournament of roses parade in pasadena. sergeant eric paz deported to afghanistan, was on one of the floats. his family told they won a front row seat to the parade didn't know he was there.

he walked off the float and into the arms of his surprised wife and 4-year-old son. his wife, miriam, called it amazing and awesome. eric said he was choking back tears the whole time. four men in central china ushered in the new year on the rocks, living inside an ice hut. one gave up after 14 hours. endured the entire day in rooms made of ice without eating, drinking or sloping. two of the winners, if you want to call them that, also hold world records for surviving in extremely cold water. that is the news. it's four after the hour. it remains unclear, al, why they did this. >> that's why they did it. >> it was worth it for the hug. >> bring it in. >> all right. how about a check of the weather? >> that was very awkward. >> yes, it was. >> okay. let's see what we have for you. starting off with today, we are looking at wet weather from the gulf coast into the southeastern atlantic states, part of a weak frontal system that's draped down there. clipper coming across, bringing blowing snow across the plains,

lake-effect snow later on today and on into the eastern great lakes. plenty of sunshine into the southwest. but temperatures throughout much of the country anywhere from 10 to 20 degrees below normal. >> quiet as people had back to school and work. clearing into the afternoon. highs in the 40's. all right. now to "today's" take three, where we take on three top he cans that we hope, at least, have you talking. take one turns out the most searched gift item online this

year, more people searched online for ugg brand than any other gift. are you ugg wearers? >> i believe this. i struggled with whether to buy my kids -- because they're expensive, like $175. i bought them for my girls, that was their one big ticket item and i can share my fourth graders, the same shoe. double dip. >> what size are we talking about? >> a good 5 1/2. >> okay. >> you do such great stunts. >> i'm a -- >> are they furry? >> i have to say uggs, it is a funny thing with your kids when you want those. you can't get those bear paws for long because they want the ugg brand. >> they're big now, for girls of that age, the age of your kids, bright pink and purple. >> you have the uggs? >> i do. they are so warm. i resisted for so long. >> i have a pair of ugg slippers.

>> you do? >> wear them around the house. or out to the stores when you get older, start losing it. >> you wear pajamas. >> men can't wear the ugg boots. >> no, does not work. >> i've seen a couple of men -- i don't know. >> does not work. >> number two was kindle fire, ipad, amazon kindle, bar by was number five, ipad mini, ipod touch. you get the idea of technology. >> technology. >> there it is. the end of gangnam style. >> it's time. it's time! >> can we watch it a little bit again? if this is the end we want to drink it in. psy new year's eve -- here we go. >> horsey dance. ♪ gangnam style >> so he said on new year's eve that this has got to be the end in america. he said he has a few dates where he has to play it still but he feels it has run its course. >> give a call to mc hammer.

he's still rocking it, but he has embraced, you know "can't touch this." don't give that up. >> just as you see david gregory make a fool -- >> david, do it again. >> look at al. whoo! >> little hip action. but look at david. >> there it was. >> he already has one name, madon madonna, cher. psy, take it to vegas. >> celine now. >> celine. >> i'm thinking road trip. take three, banished words of 2013 for the 38th time michigan lake superior state university has released a list of words to be banished from the queen's english for misuse, overuse and general uselessness based on nominations from around the world. the word or phrase that topped the list, are you ready for this? >> hit it. >> fiscal cliff banned from the

queen's english. based on the deal we got yesterday we'll hear that. >> for a while. >> into 2013. >> maybe fiscal ravine. >> there you go. little twist. >> wouldn't it be great if wile e. coyote fell off the fiscal cliff? >> you only live once. >> i'm so late to the party that i looked at this list. they're a little bit new to me. yolo, i'm just learning about these. main ball, what? >> you just heard of mace balls? >> no. >> spoiler alert. i guess we're not allowed to use that anymore. used in full caps warns readers of the spoiler, as it would indicate. introducing the early days of the web. >> i would rather know.

>> the worldwide web. >> become in the good old days. >> spoiler alert you go right to it. it says not to look at it. that makes you look at it. >> great for the people putting it out there. >> exactly. >> bucket list. >> i'm okay with bucket list. >> what's wrong with bucket list? >> was that from shake the bucket? >> originally. >> bucket list. trending something currently popular. apparently we're not allowed to use that word anymore. >> what happens if you use it? are there word police? >> yes. the black helicopters sweep in and take you away. guru is another one. >> what's the matter with guru? this list just -- >> guru has been around for a long time. >> kick the can down the road was on there. i fully support that. >> getting rid of that term? >> i was ready to get rid of it in 2012. >> how about cray-cray, does that bother y'all?

>> if you're 12 or 13 it's okay. the word i want to get -- really? it's time to put that to rest. >> really? >> really. >> i go for literally. >> that was mine! i'll think of another one. >> there it is. tas not just that it's overused but so wildly misused. literally means you are literally doing the thing. >> which is kind of like seriously. seriously? >> i'm going to change mine to like. with the young kids it drives me crazy when everything is like this, like that. >> or you know. >> if you're on facebook you want to be liked. >> this is getting really confusing. >> who's on first. >> right. 75% off, this morning's steals and deals. jill martin is next. ♪

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♪ swiffer. great clean in less time. or your money back. very interesting. cool. i like "success." joy. i got cracker chips. [ laughing ] chocolatey pretzel. mmmm.... special k! [ female announcer ] snack and stay on track with special k. i like "confidence." i am a confident lady. [ laughter ]

we're back now with jill's steals and deals new year's edition. we have great items with deeply discounted prices exclusively for "today" show viewers. jill martin is here to walk us through the office. good to see you. >> good morning. >> i love a bargain. let's start over here. i like the idea of these. >> this is new year new you. you can get these items right now on today.com. if you want them, go on right now. we're all into working out, getting our bodies in shape. that's what this series is dedicated to. starting with this fabulous line. now retail $36 to $58. the brand says that the materials are in your everyday exercises will help you tone and burn calories.

>> how great is that? >> there's five different styles. whether you want it -- high wasted or regular tights go online to today.com and we'll explain which is which is. retail is $36 to $58. the deal $16 for any of them. that's up to 72% off. >> well done. good way to start the new year. >> we all like to start the year looking thinner. >> looking thinner. i like the smoke and mirrors approach. i thought this was a big new year's thing for people, they want to learn a new language. >> i want to learn this, i want to learn that. retail $179. you want to learn french, italian, spanish, german, japanese or chinese, each course includes three course books, 36 lechs, nine audio cds. barnes & noble and other fine stores nationwide. the retail $179. the deal $54. that's 70% off.

>> big deal savings right there. >> put it in your car. >> working out at home. >> workout dvds, retail $59.99. creator of the best selling dance and fitness dvds are offering a set -- i think we have these right here. see how happy they look, working out. >> so happy. >> cardio lean or pilates super sculpt. do this at home, need very little equipment. you don't even need sneakers in some of these. tracy mallet is a certified personal trainer and certified sports nutritionist. you can trust her. retail $59.99. the deal $14.99 for the set. that's 75% off. >> she makes it look good, smiling all the way. the scale. you have to be careful with the scale. lot of times you're building muscle. it's not relevant on the scale. >> after you have your shapers on, learn your language and work out, now we get to the scale. retail is $79.95, escali

bathroom scale, body weight, body fat percentage and body water percentage. it helps determine if you are losing body fat and how much muscle you're gaining. sometimes that gets confusing. >> that's key because the number on the scale doesn't always match up. >> retail $79.95. the deal $24. that's 70% off. it's nice looking. you can have it in the bathroom. >> i like the glass look in there. that's good. who doesn't love a nice pair of sheets to curl up with? >> these are a great gift if you want a new year's gift, beautiful box with the bow. you feel this. microfiber. retail $149 to $189. egyptian comfort collection, machine wash and dry. they don't wrinkle. available in 12 colors. retail $149 to $189. the deal $49 up to 74% off. this is the first bed i've ever made here. >> are you going to lay in this thing? >> i'll let you do that for the wrap up here. >> i like all the different colors it comes in. >> 12 colors. great deal and a great way to spruce up your new year. >> jill marpt, great to see you.

happy new year. again, all the products are online. shatobu shapewear, living language platinum, tracy mallett workout series, escali. any questions you have about our steals and deals. good stuff. coming up, healthy snacks on the go. first these messages. this is $100,000. we asked total strangers to watch it for us. thank you so much. i appreciate it. i'll be right back. they didn't take a dime. how much in fees does your bank take to watch your money? if your bank takes more money than a stranger, you need an ally. ally bank. your money needs an ally.

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coming up this morning, we're talking about celebrities that make the same pose in every picture. did you ever notice that? >> yes. >> you find a pose that works. >> do you have one, al? >> that's it. >> i'm always like fat neck laughing. i don't get it. i need to learn this. >> but it works. >> it works. >> it works for you. i'm not on a lot of red carpets. >> bob yager, our camera guy. show them your look. >> let's see it. >> good one. >> that's good. >> kind of a variation on the roker.

>> i have a picture of bob at every concert going -- >> we'll have matt talking to some of those successful people in the country about their keys to success. >> first your local news. weight. i just got started and i'm like "hey, that first 20 came off, well it wasn't too hard at all." i love breads. you can still eat bread. i love my sweets. i can still have a cookie on weight watchers. i love the barcode scanner. occasionally, i'll use it at the bar. of course! that's what it's for, right? bar code. oh i think i'm never going there again. i feel healthy. and just...young again. [ female announcer ] weight watchers online. the power of weight watchers completely online. join for free today. into john stamos. honey! i think i'm getting burned! eat. ♪ tastes pretty good, huh? [ men grunting ] open! [ male announcer ] oikos. possibly the best yogurt in the world. [ nyquil bottle ] just reading your label. wait...you relieve nasal congestion? sure don't you?

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>> this is wbal-tv 11 news in baltimore. >> clouds to start, then clicking into the afternoon. temperatures hover around 40 each and every afternoon. minimal chances for any rain or snow. 20% chance on sunday

you start to notice a pattern of some of these poses you may be on to something. do celebrities strike the same pose in every shot? some do. i'm willie geist along with al roker and kit hoover. >> you put me in the middle. >> i thought it was this guy. >> how about bieber? a peace sign, you have to bring it in. i would be the dorky, like, hang loose. >> throw some gang signs. very nice. if your resolution is to lose a few pounds, eat a healthy diet, snacking can be a real issue. when you're out and about,

whether you're on a plane or at work, we have great healthy choices thanks to madelyn fernstrom as she continues to read the paper. >> you know the spanx, amazing body shaper. >> my friend. >> got them on right now. >> female billionaire, she joins warren buffet, tony robbins and mayor castro of san antonio. >> i'll be listening. how about a check of the weather first? >> little weak frontal system to the south bringing showers to texas and southeastern atlantic states. clipper coming across the states. no big deal. chilly throughout much of the country today. then for tomorrow, more lake-effect snow. it's going to be cold throughout much of the u.s. rain moves back into the pacific northwest. few scattered showers along the georgia/florida border. lots of sunshine in the northeast. temperatures anywhere from 10 to 20 grease below normal. that's what'sal

>> starting off with clouds. high temperature in the upper 30's to the low 40's. no major >> and that's your latest weather. >> al, thank you very much. up next, keeping face. celebrities who strike the same pose with every single photo, after this. standard in anti-aging.r ]d roc® retinol. found in roc® retinol correxion deep wrinkle night cream. it's clinically proven to give 10 years back to the look of skin. now for maximum results, the power of roc® retinol is intensified with a serum to create retinol correxion® max.

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did you ever notice when celebrities hit the red carpet they strike the same pose every time? we decided to put a match-up of our favorite celebrities never changing looks. e! news correspondent. >> let's start with the biebs. he puts up a peace sign. miley cyrus is the queen of it. you point out always to the side. >> always to the side. little gangster. >> is that canadian gangster? what gang is that? >> paul mccartney does it, it's straight up. >> mccartney can pull that off, though. >> he's the original. >> what about victoria beckham? she doesn't like to smile. she likes that pout. she has a lot to smile about. >> very severe. she does not smile because when she hits the red carpet it's all

about business. she's playing a role. she wants to get in, get out. and she does -- >> looks like somebody took a whiz in her cheerios. >> she's working it. >> women like the way their face looks -- >> is that the thing? >> yes. when you smile you get -- >> and do this, because it makes you look smaller. >> your supposed to hold your mouth open. a lot of women do it. >> a lot of women do it. >> what? >> on the red carpet they're like, huh? >> it brings sex appeal. so paris hilton is the queen of the side like this. she has one eye that's smaller than the other one. >> no, come on! >> it's true. >> she has a twinkie eye? >> she tries to do the side that she covers up that eye. >> the hands on the hip. >> make you look smaller, skinnier. hands on the hip all the time. >> one side or the other, depending on which eye --

>> one side or the other. >> how does she prevent shots from the other side? >> you can never prevent it. >> she wears an eye patch. p pirate look. >> hair covers it up on one side. >> how about lady gaga? >> slightly opened mouth as you were talking about. there we go. she brings that couture to red carpet. >> how about willie? >> side head shot. >> he's smiling. >> half smile. >> i like it. >> you do have that boyish thing that i love. >> what is it you say you do? do we have some of kit? >> we do. i'll show it to people. >> oh! >> i didn't wash that day. >> a beautiful smile. i don't know why they're messing with you. it's beautiful. >> i just don't get it. i get all choked up and go -- >> especially with the mustache.

>> you look good. >> couple of pistols. >> let's do yours because we're talking about everybody. >> al roker. >> get that off. come on! straight to roker. >> whenever i'm out saving lives. >> it's the hair i love. >> i love the hair. >> people with good teeth like al have a toothy grin. >> hey, how are you doing? good to see you. >> you don't really smile big, you kind of cover it up. >> is there an alicia quarrles, by the way? >> hand on one hip. it makes the waist look better. >> people not want to mess with you. >> i'm the enforcer. i'll have to try your boyish grin and the mustache. >> the sta krchstache. >> alicia quarrles, thank you.

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today, healthy snacking on the go. it can be a challenge. >> madelyn fernstrom, happy new year. >> happy new year to you, too. >> what do we want to do when you're grabbing a quick snack? >> we're talking about 150 to 200-calorie range, but it can be less, as little as 75 to 100 or a drop more, depending on the circumstance. if you're a smart snacker, you can make this work for you and not overdo it. >> snacking kills you. at the airport, what do you need to know? >> perfect world, i'll take things along with me. but getting through security, you want to make your plane. if you're looking around at restaurants, there are things that can work with you. you can't go wrong with a piece of fruit, something like an orange or banana. a small latte. if you're not a coffee person, have a steamer with some milk, yogurt. lifestyle snacks that do the heavy lifting for you. small snacks around 150, 180 calories, little mixes of

fruits, nuts, crackers, good for you things in little packages or do something as simple as a kind bar. they fill you up. they are satisfying. they have a good taste profile. that's what you're looking for, just little snacks. >> no more cinnabuns and chick-fil-a. >> it looks like a snack but will weigh in at about 800 calories. it doesn't have to be a snack. >> once you're on the plane. >> now you're on the plane. >> what do you do? >> long flight. there's a lot of things that you can look for. let's start with the free stuff. a lot of this stuff is really pricey. perfect world, you bring something with you. think about the drink cart, nonalcoholic, that comes around. you can get a juice, orange juice or vegetable juice if you're trying to trim some calories. that stuff is free. make a little spritzer and mix it with some seltzer. have some water. but this gives you something around 100 calories or so. a leader in keeping up with

snacks, popped corn chips around 100 calories for them. think about what you want to have. >> caramel. >> animal crackers, these kinds of things. >> portion control is one thing. barely give you any. >> and in snacking case, that's a good thing. be careful when airlines have a snack pack, delta, jetblue, it's about 500 calories. think of that for two or three people. nuts and different things, but split these things. >> let's go over to the car. we both have kids. >> yeah. this is a huge issue on a road trip. >> this is great. i wish mine looked like that instead of the cheetos in the back. >> you want to have stuff that's not a mess. water, small bottles. thing that is your kids would actually like, and you, too. buy things that are preprepared or make your own. teeny bags of cereal, few chocolate chips in, raisins, dry fruits.

you can buy them already made if you have the time or money or make them yourself. >> you get that vat of gold fish crackers, is that bad or good? >> buy the little 100-calorie ones so you can have the satisfaction of eating all the way through the bag. you can find a lot of this stuff at a rest stop or gas station but you'll see them in much larger ams. you can get turkey jerky. or even something small from a fast food place. >> let's stop by the mall real quick. what do we do in the food court? >> there are plenty of good things in the food court. >> there are? the smell sucks me right in. >> you're looking for that cinnabon. >> i totally am. >> tiny yogurt parfait, frozen yogurt with berries on it. want something warm and savory, have some soup or asian vegetables. that's good especially if you want some crunch. think before you eat and what you want to get. you can be a smart snacker and

it still can taste good. >> no sauce on that, by the way. >> you can do it on the side. you have to give somewhere. >> we're still going to chick-fil-a. madelyn, thank you. back in a moment. i do interior decorating and styling for bars and restaurants. [ male announcer ] whenever a business switches from cable to verizon fios, there comes a moment when they get it -- the powerful difference 100% fiber optics really makes. i got it the first time i uploaded these massive design plans.

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matt recently sat down with people offering tips for the new year. julian castro, sara blakely, the founder of spanx, warren buffet and tony robbins. >> in a down time when you've been battered and a rough time to splurge? good idea? >> maybe occasionally, sure.

but splurge means you do it once in a blue moon not folks that don't save, that, you know, spend their monies in ways they shouldn't. >> the best investment you can always make is in yourself. it changed my life in a big way. before that, i could not speak in public. i was a total disaster. it gave me the chance -- i was going to go sell stocks and i knew i had to be able to talk to people. any time you can invest in yourself, you'll get a payoff 1,000 for one. >> that's an amazing piece of advice, especially for the coming year. have you done something like that? >> the first thing that popped into my mind was when i could not really afford it, i splurged on a nice watch when i was selling fax machines door to door and that watch became my symbol to myself where i was headed. and it was just something i made a decision to do. i still have the watch. >> inspiration? >> that was inspiration for me but also the belief in myself, i'm going to get there. >> i mentioned that you're all successful. you're all self made, all right.

was the drive to succeed in your dna? or did you find it somewhere else? how about you, mr. but haffet? >> i think it was but i was encouraged by my father. if i had a different set of parents, it might have been different. i always -- i always liked to do business. i liked to buy -- when i was 5 years old, i would buy six cokes for my grandmother for a quarter and sell them for a nickel each. >> something in your dna? >> circumstances of pain made me look for answers. i wasn't a popular kid. i loved people. i would bake cookies and take care of people. i was the oldest of three, i had a lot of responsibility. it made me want to find answers, what makes a difference in people's lives and it made me obsessed with that. >> part dna and part circumstance. there were events that catapulted me stronger into

wanting to be self independent financially. i've always had such great tud for being a woman in america. lotto ticket hi had no control over and i'm grateful for it every day. the people that have worked so madder hard to give me opportunity in this country is so exciting for me. >> i think it's both. the circumstances of how i grew up. also one of the neat things in my life is that i'm a twin. i have a twin brother. i'm absolutely convinced that the competition between us as twins fueled both of our success. that always wanted to outdo the other. >> let's say you're talking to someone out there who has tried everything to be successful. what would you say to that person who thinks maybe this just isn't going to work out for me? how do you encourage a sense of optimism in that person to keep digging? >> my dad lost his job in 1931. i was one year of age. two kids, a mortgage on his house.

he worked with the bank. the bank was closed. money was in the bank and he just started the company. he didn't have anything else to do. and for a year or two, it was tough. but america comes back. and you're riding with the tide in this country. and you keep clawing at it. >> who you spend time with, and getting yourself in proximity with people who are succeeding, even if you have to work for free for somebody, you begin to see what the opportunities are. one of the challenges in our country, when people are doing poorly, we put them together in an environment where other people are doing poorly and we wonder why they don't get better. >> for me, in a very rough time in my life i became specific, what am i good at? one of the things on my list is sales, selling fax machines door to door. i said -- i wrote down the words, i want to come up with an idea i can sell to millions of people. i was very specific. i would tell these people, what do you want?

take time to sit with yourself, be specific and ask for it. then your life will start filling in the blanks. >> if you take the time and the energy to invest in yourself in all the different ways that you can, and you keep knocking on the door, i think everyone would agree that eventually that the door gets opened. maybe it's not the biggest door in the world that you see right away, but a small door. but a door gets opened that can lead to the great things that folks are looking for. >> great invoice. >> great selection of talent there, too. >> just ahead, hoda and her very special guest co-host. can't wait to see how this -- >> oh, yeah! >> meredith vieira. >> oh, yeah, oh, yeah. >> al talks about his new weight loss book. >> first your local news and weather. i do interior decorating

and styling for bars and restaurants. [ male announcer ] whenever a business switches from cable to verizon fios, there comes a moment when they get it -- the powerful difference 100% fiber optics really makes. i got it the first time i uploaded these massive design plans. it was kind of mind-blowing because it happened so fast. [ male announcer ] now do more business per second with the speed and reliability of verizon fios for business. get internet and phone for just $94.99 a month when you sign up online with a two-year price guarantee. plus, get a $200 verizon visa pre-paid card. verizon.